A ten-bed inpatient demonstration unit for adolescent cancer patients has been in operation since January 5, 1978 at RPMI. The Unit is designed to provide special rehabilitation and support personnel and facilities to minimize the impediments to accomplishing the tasks of adolescence when these are complicated by cancer and its treatment. The specially selected and trained staff has cared for eighty-seven teenage and young adult patients with a broad variety of cancers in the first eight months of operation. Primary nursing has made the nurse a more integral part of the patient management team and more cognizant of the patient, disease, treatment and family concerns. The nurse's role is expanding as the greater demands of primary nursing are met. A primary goal of the Unit is to provide strong psychosocial support for the patients, families and staff. A number of programs and activities have been developed to meet this goal based on a baseline study of adolescent cancer patient needs. Activities include patient rap sessions, occupational therapy, family night, music therapy, creative writing, concerts/movies and bereavement follow-up. Documentation of the programs has been accomplished and evaluation data have been collected. Analysis and comparison with a prior study is under way. The Unit will be the focus of numerous research projects, some of which are already under way.